Hacker Extradited from Ukraine Pleads Guilty to Ryuk Ransomware Charges

An Armenian national, Karen Serobovich Vardanyan, pleaded guilty in a Portland federal court to conspiracy and computer fraud for installing Ryuk ransomware on multiple U.S. organizations between November 2019 and April 2020; prosecutions allege the operation led to around 1,610 BTC in ransom payments (including a 200 BTC payment by one victim) and Vardanyan agreed to pay over $1.1M in restitution. The report places this conviction in the context of Ryuk’s broader 2018–2020 activities—targeting hospitals, defense contractors, and service providers—and highlights ongoing law-enforcement efforts against ransomware actors and initial access brokers.